Above All Others
by Laily
Summary: Part III. COMPLETE When an acute illness strikes one of the Sohmas, how far is Hatori willing to go to save the life of a loved one? Yuki, Kyo and Tohru ruminate on life without Shigure. Hatori and Shigurecentric, nonyaoi. Warning: Angst,relatively minor,
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply. 

A bright, sunny day greeted the first day of spring with such welcome Hatori almost felt disappointed he hadn't made other more interesting plans for the day. Instead, he found himself standing in front of his writer cousin's house, tapping his foot impatiently. He rang the door bell again, a little viciously this time. For a house boasting quite a relatively large number of occupants, they sure were slow at getting the door.

Finally the door unlocked with a click.

"Ahh! Hatori-san!" Tohru's eyes widened in surprise, opening the front door wider. "Please come in!"

"Honda-kun. How have you been?"

Tohru clumsily backed away as Hatori stepped forward to take his shoes off, the unmistakable feeling of dread growing in her heart.

Oh no...He's early! I should have polished the kitchen counter last night! And the trash is still in the bin! I am so careless! Tohru berated herself, her face burning as she let the doctor in. And has he had breakfast yet? Should I offer him some?

"Honda-kun?"

She looked a bit flustered. "I've never been better, thank you! We didn't expect you this early however...please, do forgive the mess!" The handsome Sohma just regarded her silently out the corner of his good eye as he handed him her coat.

"I trust Yuki is awake?"

Tohru's face paled slightly. "Anou Hatori-san...You see...Sohma-kun..."

"Don't tell me...He's still in bed?" Hatori said dryly.

"H-hai..." She abruptly straightened and bowed her head fervently. "Gomen-nasai! I should have tried harder to wake him up! I should have reminded Sohma-kun again last night before he went to bed!"

"Iie...it's alright, Honda-kun. I've known Yuki a lot longer than you have. I am familiar with his sentiments about waking up in the morning," Hatori said, giving her a very small smile. "I suppose it is partly my fault for coming here so early, it is no wonder he's still sleeping. Leave him be, I'll just go see Shigure and say hello."

Hatori narrowed his eyes. He surveyed the empty living room. "Speaking of Shigure, where is he? Is he still in bed? Is everyone still in bed?"

"Oh no! I think Shigure-san's awake...I'm sure I heard him moving around in his room. He should be in his study upstairs."

"Right." Hatori was about to walk up the stairs when he noticed Tohru staring at him, a flicker of uncertainty in her large innocent eyes.

"Hmm? Nani, Honda-kun?"

"Anou...Hatori-san..." Tohru bit her lower lip, hesitating.

"Speak up, girl. By now you should know I don't bite."

Tohru's face turned bright red. "Right. Gomen-nasai."

Hatori waited expectantly, his hand on the rail.

"Hatori-san...it might not be my place to say this but...I-I was wondering if...after you are done with Sohma-kun, could you check on Shigure-san as well? I am a little worried about him."

Hatori narrowed his eyes. "Is he unwell?"

A worried frown instantly creased Tohru's forehead. "Well, for one, he hasn't eaten anything since yesterday, at first I thought it was just my cooking that didn't agree with him because I did try out a new recipe for lunch yesterday, but he had so little for dinner, he barely ate a thing." She hesitated a little.

"I thought he didn't look well at all but-" she waved her hands frantically in front of her face. "Sumimasen! I may be imagining things, jumping into conclusions like that! I'm sure Shigure-san would have told you himself if he were really feeling ill..."

Hatori doubted that though. But saying that out loud would only worry the girl further so he just nodded seriously. "Iie, thank you for telling me, Honda-kun. I'll see what I can do. He could just be coming down with something, in fact half the House of Sohma is down with a nasty bug at the moment."

"Ah! Then you must be very busy! I'm sorry if I've caused you unnecessary concern...it's just that...I got very worried after I heard him throwing up in the upstairs bathroom last night. "

Hatori's fingers unconsciously tightened around the rail. "I see."

After assuring Tohru that he would do his best to help, Hatori continued his way up the stairs only to run into Shigure who had just exited the upstairs bathroom in the hallway. His cousin's face brightened instantly.

"Ah! Ha-san! You're here," Shigure greeted him cheerfully. "It's good to see you."

The first step to accurate history taking in the daily life of a well-trained doctor: the power of observation.

Shigure's eyes and nose were red against the unusual pallor of his complexion. And he smelled suspiciously of mouthwash. Lots and lots of it. _Honda-kun was right_, he thought. Shigure had definitely looked better.

"What's wrong with you?" Step 2. The direct approach always seemed to work with the most difficult of patients.

"Eh?" Shigure blinked. "Wrong? With me?"

"Yes."

Shigure blinked again. Then his face lit up. "Oh! You must mean my yukata! Tohru-kun has washed all my favourite grey ones and I'm only left with the blue one, which I find a little unflattering on me, if you know what I mean-"

A vein throbbed in Hatori's temple. "Shigure, I don't have all day. Are you feeling al-"

"I thought I heard Hatori's voice," a new voice joined them from the far end of the corridor. They both turned to see Yuki sliding the door open, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Ohayou, Yuki-kun!" Shigure chirped.

Yuki winced. "Shigure, to be this cheery so early in the morning, it's not normal."

Hatori snorted. Shigure? Normal?

"Come on, Yuki-kun. Don't keep Ha-san waiting for longer than he needed to, he hasn't got all day, you know. Such is the life of a busy man," Shigure said and winked, before slipping past Hatori to return to his room.

Hatori only watched his retreating back, unsure of what to make of their little encounter. Shigure was acting like his usual self, that much was obvious. He guessed he could catch up with his cousin later and find out for himself if Honda-kun's concerns were of any weight. -But right now, there was another Sohma he needed to take a look at.

* * *

"You know the routine, Yuki." He handed Yuki a small, calibrated tubular cylinder. "Deep breath, then let it out in the peak flow meter as forcefully as you possibly can." He watched as Yuki did as he was told. He felt sorry for the boy, but he guessed it couldn't be helped. A weak chest was no fun, but at least there was always going to be someone around to keep an eye on Yuki. 

"Hatori."

"What is it, Yuki?" Hatori pressed the stethoscope against his chest, listening to his lungs for any obstruction.

"You once said I might grow out of this one day."

"Yes, I did."

Yuki was silent. "Okay."

Hatori disentangled the stethoscope from around his neck. "I wouldn't worry so much about this, Yuki. As long as you take care of yourself, everything's going to be alright. I understand you haven't had a single attack for about nine months now. That's very good."

Yuki only smiled. "I have a good doctor."

Hatori shrugged. "You flatter me too much, Yuki. It is my duty after all." He frowned when the distant sound of the toilet flushing caught his attention. _The third time in half an hour_, he noted. It couldn't be Kyo, whose snores could still be heard from the next room through the wall.

"Are you planning to go out today, Yuki? It is quite nice outside," he commented casually, but he found his mind wandering elsewhere.

"There's an Egyptian arts exhibition at the convention centre today, I was planning to take Honda-san to see it, but knowing the cat, by the time he decides to wake up, the show would be over."

"I see." Hatori stood up. "Well, I hope you'll enjoy yourselves. Just remember, don't over-exert yourself and don't forget to bring your inhaler wherever you go. Your lungs still haven't cleared up completely. Do you understand?"

"Hai." Yuki buttoned up his shirt. "What are your plans for today, Hatori?"

"Hmm?" He heard footsteps going down the stairs, accompanied with the rustling sounds of papers. Shigure must be getting to work. "Oh. I'll probably stay here for a while longer if you don't mind. It is the weekend after all."

"Stay as long as you like, I guess. Shigure's probably going to be home all day. Seriously, I don't think that guy has a life. You tell him to live a little, Hatori."

"That's a very sound advice, Yuki. Maybe I will." He excused himself and immediately made his way downstairs. Sure enough, Shigure was sitting at his usual spot at the table, with his usual stack of books and his usual cup of tea.

Hatori put his bag down on the table and took a seat by his cousin's side. He studied him closely.

Shigure looked even paler then when he saw him a half hour ago, and light sweat had broken out in a fine layer on his skin despite the gentle breeze blowing through the open sliding doors.

The clock on the wall ticked. And ticked. And ticked.

"Take a picture. It lasts longer."

"Are you going to let me check you out or not?"

"Whatever do you mean, check me out?" Shigure was momentarily confused. Then his eyes glinted with mirth.

"Ah...you think I'm hot stuff, don't you? Aya secretly checks me out sometimes, I always catch him doing that you know-but you, of all people?" Shigure tsk-tsked playfully. "You flirt."

"That's not what I meant, you idiot," Hatori scoffed. "Honda-kun suspected you were not feeling well so I thought I'd play the role of the concerned cousin slash family doctor slash your only living relative who can stand your antics; as long as I'm here and it's free so you might as well just give it up and let me take a look at you and is that cigarette I see dangling from your lips your twentieth this morning?"

Shigure's eyes nearly popped. "All that in a single breath? You're amazing." He took a long drag from his ciggie before snuffing it out in the ashtray. "And I didn't know you could count that high." He smiled at his best friend teasingly.

Hatori just gazed at him coldly. "It is hardly ten o'clock in the morning and you're already on your second pack. You are no chain smoker, Shigure, so it is my duty to infer from that fact and make an educated guess. Now what is wrong?"

"Betsuni." Shigure shrugged. In frustration, Hatori pulled his book off his hands. Shigure grabbed it back stubbornly.

"Everything's perfectly fine, Ha-san! Look at me, sitting here with my cig and my tea and my books, going about my daily life with all the peace and quiet I could ever ask for on this beautiful sunny day, without a care in the world. How could anything be wrong?"

"And yet you've barely eaten anything since yesterday afternoon, or so I've been told. Are you sick to your stomach or are you just being difficult?"

"Honestly, can't a man be not hungry once in a while?" Shigure sighed and buried his face once more in his book. "Ha-san, fussing over me like this doesn't become you. Quit worrying and have a smoke, will you?"

"I am not worrying about you. I'm worrying about those little brats living with you. Whatever will happen to them if something happens and you suddenly decide to kick the bucket, hmm?"

Shigure's forehead wrinkled in disbelief. "That's ridiculous. No one kicks the bucket just because of a little stomach ache."

"Ahah. So there is something wrong with you," Hatori said triumphantly, as much as triumph would sound like in that monotonous voice of his.

"There isn't! I'm just nervous is all. After all, my new novel's launching is next week and all the suspense is making me jittery. Which reminds me, are you coming to the ceremony?"

"Whereabouts is it again?"

"The Marriott." After a pregnant pause, "Akito-san...is coming as well."

Hatori looked at him sharply. He was quiet for a few seconds. "I see."

Then he stood up. "In that case, I'll make sure I have nothing scheduled that day. I assume you would want every chair filled, even if it's mostly the Sohmas who'll end up going."

Shigure smiled at him. "Thank you, Ha-san. You're the best! Ah, in fact I think you deserve a few more lines in my speech-I wrote it yesterday and come to think there's barely a mention of you in it, and since your coming here today has brightened up my day to such an extent that I might just dedicate a whole paragraph to y-"

Hatori raised a stern hand. "Hush!" Shigure closed his mouth abruptly. He turned the page over and went back to reading.

"How's Yuki? I hope everything checks out alright."

"He's fine. As long as he doesn't do anything particularly strenuous."

Shigure snorted. "Have you seen the state of my house lately? The only thing that keeps it standing is because Tohru-kun's here. She seems to be the only one who can keep the two from killing each other every time they meet."

"It's partly your fault for making them stay together under one roof."

"What can I say, I am a bit of a control freak I suppose. I guess I feel the need to keep an eye on them, that's all."

"A noble act, Shigure." Sometimes he felt he gave the dog too little credit. Although he wasn't going to tell him that; the dog was big-headed enough as it was, being a hot-shot novelist and all. But he had a good heart, that much Hatori knew.

"Look, I'd love to stay around for longer but I just remembered I have to run to my stockist to replenish my medical supplies. Now are you sure you don't have any concerns you want to talk to me about?"

Shigure smiled kindly. "Have I ever kept anything from you, Ha-san? If I did, don't you think I would have talked to you about it?"

"Sometimes I wonder, Shigure." A steadfast gaze. _Sometimes_.

Hatori finally gave a sigh. He bent over for his black briefcase. He rummaged in it for a while before producing a palm-sized bottle filled with some kind of viscous pink goo.

"Here." He plonked it on the table next to Shigure's tea.

"That looks vile." Shigure slid his glasses on and peered at it. "It looks like something Yuki-kun would whip up in the kitchen if he were living alone on a desert island with nothing to eat but pink salmon and pink rose buds blended together. But then again, he wouldn't have a blender, much less a kitchen, would he? Hmm."

"Can you be anymore disgusting?"

"In fact I can! See-"

"Take it after you've had something to eat. A spoonful during the day and another at night. That should help settle your stomach."

Shigure sweat-dropped. "That stuff is going nowhere near my taste buds. No sir, no way in heaven-"

"You leave me with no choice, Shigure. Either you let me examine you properly or you do as I tell you. Now, which is it?"

Shigure winced. "The salmon and rose bud smoothie," he mumbled finally, lowering his head dejectedly. God knew what other bizarre concoctions Hatori had stored in his magical bag.

Satisfied with himself, Hatori stole the last of the cigarettes from Shigure's pack. "I'll see myself out. You should thank Honda-kun for being so concerned about you. That's the closest thing you'll ever get to a woman's sympathy, as I'm sure you very well know."

Shigure winced again. "That's so mean, Ha-san...And to think I let you steal the last of my nicotine fix for the day."

"Missing one is not going to reduce your chance of getting lung cancer by much. Get over it," Hatori said, shrugging.

"That is indeed true, I suppose," Shigure concurred calmly, taking a sip from his tea. He said nothing else.

Something seemed amiss. Shigure's good mood, while in a stranger's eyes may seem natural, but for someone who'd known the dog for as long as he had, it felt false, forced. But if he refused to be seen, then there was only so much Hatori could do.

"I don't really have to tell you this, because you'll end up doing it anyway-" Hatori grabbed his coat from the coat rack. "But call me if...you feel the need to."

He stood in the hallway for a minute, uncertain if he should really leave. He had a feeling his company was needed somehow. "I'm going to be in most of the day anyway."

"Alright. Thank you for coming, Ha-san." Hatori nodded curtly, throwing his cousin one last inquisitive look, before heading out the front door. Since he was heading down to town anyway, he guessed he should take Momiji with him or something. The kid would appreciate it at the very least; he didn't get out much and he deserved some fun after all.

* * *

Shigure had hoped the potion Hatori gave would get rid of this stomach flu thing, but it only managed to take the edge of his nausea, and by mid-afternoon, the dull persistent ache in the central region of his abdomen had radiated to his right side and it was worsening by the second. 

He held a hand to his waist and breathed in deeply, slowly.

"Shigure?" Shigure opened his eyes to see Yuki standing in front of him.

"Are you alright?" He asked curiously. "You look pale."

"Ah! Daijoubu." Shigure straightened up, despite the protests of his cramping muscles. He gave him a reassuring smile. Then he frowned.

"I thought you were supposed to go out? To see mummies or something?"

"Yes, we are going out in a minute." Yuki's sharp eyes didn't miss the sudden grimace on his cousin's face and the slight stiffening of his body. "Shigure, are you sick?"

"Hmm?" Shigure's head snapped up, his eyes slightly unfocused. "I'm fine. Just a little upset stomach, that's all."

Yuki nodded. He figured that was why Shigure hadn't been eating much. "I see Hatori gave you something for it." He gestured toward the bottle on the table.

Shigure just glared at it viciously. "I'm telling you, that guy is seriously trying to poison me."

Just then, footsteps came thundering down the stairs. Yuki smirked. "Finally. Stupid cat takes forever to get dressed. He's such a girl sometimes."

"Now, now, be nice, Yuki-kun." Shigure wagged his finger. "Try to get along with him, okay?"

"Heh!" A new voice joined them. "Get along? With him? You must be joking."

Kyo stuck a hand inside his jeans pocket. "So. Are we going or what? I wanna go see the pyramids."

Yuki sweat-dropped. "What pyramids?"

"You know, the pyramids!"

"Pyramids are in Egypt, you idiot. They can't be moved around from place to place like some kind of statue!"

"Then what are we going to see actually? And don't you dare call me an idiot, you damn rat!"

"You know, mummies, burial jars, papyrus, those kinds of things."

"What the heck is a papyrus?"

"And you want to call yourself intelligent."

"Yuki, teme!"

"Anou...Shigure-san?" Shigure, who was finding himself lost in the pointless argument about pharaohs and papyrus, looked up.

"Yes, Tohru-kun?"

"I left some lunch for you in the fridge, do you want me to heat it up for you before I leave?" She asked in concern. She hoped he was feeling better; Hatori-san said he had left him some medicine.

"That's very sweet of you, Tohru-kun, but it's alright. I'll do it myself later when I'm hungry. Now go on, you guys, get out of here and let me have some peace, will you?"

"You should really eat something, Shigure-san." Tohru's eyes were filled with anxiety.

"Honestly, Shigure, you're acting like a child. Do you want Tohru to force-feed you or something?" Kyo glowered. "Coz I could help her with that-"

"Like how Yuki-kun force-fed you leeks, you mean?" Shigure teased but he tensed when another shard of pain stabbed his side. Underneath his yukata, he held his waist even tighter. "I'll be fine, really. Now go!"

Kyo was about to retort something when he realised Yuki and Tohru were already heading for the door. "Oi, chotto matte!"

Before stepping out from the living room, Kyo turned and saidto him seriously, "You do look like hell, Shigure. Get some rest will you? Tohru's going to worry herself sick."

Shigure sighed. He wished people would stop fussing over him. "I will, don't worry. Don't stay out too long okay? And take care of those two for me."

Kyo made a face at the notion that he was supposed to take care of Yuki as well, but he just nodded. "We'll be back soon. See ya."

* * *

Shigure lifted the lid off the pot and the strong aroma of beef stew immediately assaulted his senses; and immediately he felt the blood drain from his face as a powerful wave of nausea washed over him. The lid fell to the floor with a resounding clang as he blindly stumbled toward the sink. 

Dry heaves wracked his body as his stomach roiled dangerously, and Shigure held on the edge of the sink for support as his head swam.

He guessed the effect of the pink stuff he took earlier was only temporary. He buried his head in the sink, feeling the heat radiate up his neck, all the way to his temples.

Shit. He was really sick.

_So much for eating_, he thought dizzily as he heaved again, bringing up nothing but tea.

After what seemed like hours, the bout of nausea finally passed, leaving only the intense, pulsating ache in his side. Shigure straightened up gingerly, pressing the sleeve of his yukata against his mouth, trying to will the pain away and pull himself together.

His hand shook slightly as he turned the stove knob off.

He curled an arm around his midsection and struggled to regain his bearing. He needed to lie down.

But before he could reach the living room, an invisible knife stabbed him in his side, and with a cry, Shigure doubled over and fell to his knees. Cold sweat ran down his face in rivulets as he fought for control of his own body, as it convulsed with spasms of pain.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_ He thought dimly, on the verge of panic. He tried to speak, but only a strangled cry escaped his lips as black spots danced in front of his eyes. He was aware of his body collapsing forward, aware of the carpet rushing up to meet his face, but he was already unconscious even before his head hit the floor.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Glossary:

Gomen-nasai : I'm sorry  
Nani : What  
Sumimasen: Excuse me/I'm sorry  
Ohayou : Good morning  
Iie : No  
Betsuni : Nothing  
Daijouobu : I'm alright  
Yuki, teme: Yuki, you!

Author's notes: My second FB fic. Please note that everything I know about Fruits Basket, I only learned from watching the ANIME, not the manga. I know it's like watching LOTR without reading the actual book, or reading an abridged version of Oliver Twist or whatever, but please bear with me and pardon any OOC-ness and uncanon-ness. I'm trying my best.

I love Shigure. Oh and please review. It gets you the next chapter faster, for whoever wants it.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's notes: I'm well aware of how pointless and straightforward this story is, hehe. Forgive me for that. I'm just blowing off steam after a hard day's work so troubling myself with convoluted storylines, that's too much like schoolwork for me, more of which I sooo don't need. So I hope you'd all just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. )

* * *

Above All Others: Chapter 2

"-look, spending so much money on that mutt, it's just not worth it! Well, I suppose it is, but not _that_ worth it!"

"Demo...Shigure-san's going to be so happy when he sees what we've bought him!"

"Yeah, but haven't we bought just a bit too much? This is all your fault rat, you let her spend all her money on such frivolous-"

"Honda-san can do anything she pleases."

Tohru tilted her head sideways, letting her hair cascade down her shoulder. She smiled sweetly. "Shigure-san could use something to eat, something light-"

"You call three dozen jelly buns light?"

"Ritsu-san once bought him three dozen jelly buns and he ate them all in one sitting!" Tohru recalled, raising her index finger at the memory.

Kyo sweat-dropped. "Really?"

"Tadaima!" Yuki was the first one to walk in the front door.

"Tadaima!" Tohru and Kyo chorused after him, struggling a little with their shoes, what with all the plastic bags, almost overflowing with jelly buns, dangling from their fingers.

The house was still.

"Oi! Shigure!" Kyo plopped his burden onto the floor, and a bun rolled out ceremoniously from the bag.

"Ah!" Tohru marched forward to grab it before it rolled even farther. She gathered the plastic bags in her arms and started to head for the kitchen. "I'll just put on the kettle, and we can have tea together, ne?"

"Sounds good, Honda-s-"

Then they heard her gasp suddenly, before uttering a strangled cry.

Yuki and Kyo's heads whipped up in a flash, and they rushed into the house, fearing for Tohru,wondering what had gotten her so distressed. What they saw made their jaws drop.

Yuki instantly dropped to his knees. "Shigure!"

What the hell-?

"Oi, Shigure!" Kyo crouched next to his cousin, who was lying face-down in the middle of the hallway, unmoving. He lay a tentative hand on Shigure's back and started to shake him a little.

"Shigure. Oi. It's Kyo. Come on, wake up!" There was no response.

Kyo's eyes met Yuki's, fear evident in his voice

"Should we move him?"

Yuki's throat went dry; he didn't know if they should. Has there been a break-in? Did Shigure have an accident? Did he fall down the stairs? If he did, then moving him could aggravate any possible injuries. He tried desperately to remember what he had learnt from the first aid course he'd taken over the summer.

"Yuki, come on!" Kyo's voice rose a notch. What do we do now? That was the desperate question he could read in the cat's eyes. Yuki's head snapped up.

"We need to see if he's breathing. Help me roll him over!" He urged authoritatively. For once Kyo complied and hooked his arms around Shigure's upper body, and together they gently turned their cousin over onto his back. Tohru's heart nearly stopped; she had never seen anyone looking so pale in her entire life.

She could only watch helplessly as Yuki carefully tugged Shigure's chin slightly upward. He bent over and tilted his head sideways, placing his cheek an inch from Shigure's colourless lips.

_Come on, come on_...His heart racing, he counted silently for 10 seconds. Yuki sucked in a breath abruptly when he finally felt it. There it was. The warmth of breath against his cheek. Thank God. But it was very shallow, he had almost missed it.

"He's still breathing." Kyo sagged visibly in relief. Yuki shared with him a worried gaze.

"He's really warm." He rocked back on his heels for a second, before scrambling to his feet. "Stay with him. I'm going to call Hatori." Kyo nodded wordlessly, his eyes clouded with anxiety. Next to him, Tohru went down on all fours, still in a state of shock.

"Shigure-san..." she whispered, horrified. They had only been gone for a few hours; he had been fine! Dimly she could hear Yuki's agitated voice as he spoke on the phone, but her eyes, wide with disbelief, could only stare at Shigure's pallid face. _What happened to you, Shigure-san?_

* * *

Hatori barged in the front door, his movements jerky and tense as he impatiently kicked his shoes off. Without so much as a word, he strode into the living room and dropped to his knees next to his patient. He spent the first few seconds simply observing, noting at once the pale skin and the shallow breathing. 

"Shigure," he called out his cousin's name loudly, pressing two fingers against Shigure's ribs, prodding him in a circular motion, hard. "Shigure. Wake up."

Shigure remained slack. Unresponsive to command and pain stimulation, he noted, ticking off the mental checklist in his head.

Using his thumbs, he pried Shigure's eyelids upward and peered in. With a penlight, he flashed it in from side to side, checking from one eye to the other. Pupils dilated, skin burning hot to the touch. Hatori slid his hands gently down Shigure's temples, his fingers raking through the sweat-dampened black hair, probing the scalp further to the back of the skull and upward, feeling for any bumps. He found none.

Gently pushing aside the flaps of the yukata covering Shigure's upper body, Hatori ran his eyes over his cousin's motionless form, scanning for any visible wounds or abnormalities. Then he did the same with his legs. No wounds, no cuts, no signs of fracture anywhere.

"How long has he been like this?" He asked, the lines of worry on his forehead belying the calmness of his voice.

"He's been unconscious since we found him, right before we called you. But we were gone for a few hours," Yuki answered quietly from where he was sitting a few feet away.

"Was he breathing when you found him?" Hatori glanced at Kyo, who was watching from across the table. He nodded promptly.

"We couldn't wake him up." The neko brought his knees up to his chest and ran his hand through his hair restlessly.

"Did he transform at all?"

Yuki's forehead creased. "No, not since we came back."

"Shii-chan," a small voice whispered softly from the direction of the door. Tohru looked up in surprise. Momiji? The blond boy's fearful gaze met hers, and he immediately rushed over to her. She held his hand as they sat together in silence, watching Hatori work.

Tohru's eyes followed his every move as he groped around in his bag, finally producing some smelling salts. He waved them under Shigure's nose, to try to bring him around.

"Come on," Hatori muttered, administering again the same pain stimulation, and the smelling salts together.

Shigure's eyes fluttered open slowly.

"Shigure?" Oblivious still to his surroundings, he blinked rapidly a few times, as if trying to regain his senses.

"H-Ha-san?" Hatori nodded grimly.

"Welcome back," he said dryly, allowing himself a small smile. He glanced at the younger members of the family, and their faces had brightened as well.

But just as Hatori was about to heave his first sigh of relief that evening, Shigure let out a cry, before abruptly curling into a foetal position, bringing his knees high up to his chest.

A deep frown creased Hatori's forehead. "What is it? Is it your chest?"

Shigure shook his head fought for a breath in between the sharp pangs of pain. "Lower," he gasped.

"Let me see." Hatori tried to gently pull Shigure's legs down. He could see how much it was hurting him. "It's just for a little while. Come on, straighten your legs for me."

"C-Can't..." His eyes were starting to water. "Hurts...too much."

"Yes, you can. Hold on to my hand."

Shigure whimpered, but he did lower his legs very, very carefully, one after the other, his grip on Hatori's hand so tight the doctor could hear his knuckles cracking.

Kyo's eyes were wide, unblinking. Just how much pain is the inu in anyway? He wondered, a whirlwind of uneasiness stirring in his own stomach. He watched as his sick cousin reluctantly dislodged his arms from around his midriff, after much coaxing from the Dragon.

"Is there a particular spot that hurts the most?"

A hand gingerly pressed against his lower right side. "Here."

Hatori's eyes narrowed. "Did the pain start in the central region of your stomach before radiating to your side?"

Shigure looked at him with feverish eyes, clearly surprised. "How did you know that, Ha-san?"

More for the dog's sake rather than his own, the doctor resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I am a doctor, Shigure. I know a thing or two about the human body. You've been feeling sick since yesterday, haven't you?"

Shigure winced. Shimatta-! Caught!

"Honestly, Shigure, the numerous times you've been playing sick with your editor, and now when you're really sick, you just refuse to admit it."

"Playing pretend is not that fun anymore...when it's for real," Shigure gasped through tightly-clenched teeth, his chalky-white face slick with perspiration. "And besides you're not half as adorable as Mii-chan is when she's stressed out of her wits."

"What's wrong with him, Hatori?" Kyo growled. "If you know something, you'd better tell us."

Hatori ignored him. Instead he started rubbing his two palms against each other vigorously to warm them up. "I'm going to press in quite deeply so it might be a little uncomfortable, all right?"

Shigure's face blanched, but his common sense told him it needed to be done. Incapable of words, he just shut his eyes and nodded, burying the side of his face deeper into the pillow. Hatori started palpating the upper left quadrant of his abdomen, before moving downward, all the while keeping an eye on Shigure's face for any sort of reaction. When he reached the lower right, Shigure tensed.

It really was quite tender, and Hatori was careful not to press too hard. "Does it hurt as much now?"

"No, not really," Shigure said, sounding surprised, almost relieved.

Hatori let go. And Shigure nearly fainted. His body bucked as a hoarse scream caught in his throat; he had never felt such pain in his whole life.

"Ha'ri!" Momiji cried out worriedly. Hatori's face had gone white as well.

"Hatori-san..." Tohru spoke for the first time. "Hatori-san, what is it? What's wrong?"

Hatori was really hoping he was wrong. But that scream just confirmed his suspicion. The signs were all there, pain in the lower right side, the rebound tenderness, nausea, pyrexia-

He swallowed hard.

"Shigure, I think it's your appendix." Damn, Shigure, why did you let it get this far?

"His what?" Kyo's forehead wrinkled.

At normal times, Yuki would have scoffed and called him an idiot for being so clueless, but he too, realized the seriousness of the situation and had gone white-faced as well. "Are you sure?"

Hatori nodded gravely.

"Oi. What is it? Why do you both look so scared?" Kyo glowered. "Yuki!"

Sweat had long matted Shigure's hair to his scalp, and his eyes shone with fever. "Is it that bad?"

"Yes, it is. We have to operate and remove your appendix before it bursts."

Tohru uttered a cry of horror. Operate? Maasaka-? Her mind whirled crazily around that one terrifying thought. No, that can't be! Shigure-san just has the flu, for kami's sake!

"You can't be serious!" Shigure groaned loudly. "Ha-san, youre being mean as always! You're just looking for an excuse to cut me open like a-"

"This is no joking matter, Shigure," Hatori snapped. "We have a bigger problem at hand here-I can't afford to have you transform in the middle of surgery. Your body's under enough stress as it is-"

Shigure shook his head, his eyes beginning to close. He was so tired, but the pain hammering in his gut was unrelenting. "I don't think I can take any more of this for much longer. It's only a matter of time."

"Can't you fix it, Hatori?" Kyo asked. "Don't you have some kind of medicine or something?"

"No, he doesn't." Yuki's face was paper white.

"What are you even talking about, Yuki? There must be a way to fix it if his detox bursts-"

Yuki didn't even bother to correct his ridiculous wordplay. "Not if. When."

Kyo blinked. A sudden hush fell over the room. "What will happen then?"

Shigure opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, already expecting the answer. Somehow.

"He will certainly die." Hatori's dark look deepened.

Stunned, Tohru fell backward, her back colliding with the wall with a loud thud.

Kyo felt as if someone had just punched him in the gut, the words he wanted to say dying in his throat. "You're kidding..."

"Excuse me for a second. I need to make a phone call. And don't you dare go dog on me while I'm gone." Hatori said brashly, sounding uncharacteristically but understandably distressed.

Shigure curled into a tighter ball, and gave him a small nod. "I'll try." He didn't sound very convincing.

Hatori leaped to his feet and hurried out to the hallway, punching a number he knew by heart, a number he would only call if there ever was an emergency, such as this. He felt a hand tug on his shoulder.

A pair of intelligent purple-silver eyes pierced through his shield, making him feel as if Yuki could see every single doubt in his heart.

"What are you planning to do, Hatori? When are we taking him to the hospital?"

"No. No hospital. Too many people. Too many things can go wrong."

The rat blanched. "But Shigure won't make it if we do-"

"I know, Yuki!" Hatori snapped, almost forgetting to keep his voice down. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. He had thought it all out and had come to the conclusion that there was no other choice. He might as well just tell them what he was planning to do.

"Look. I'm going to call someone, an acquaintance of mine who has his own surgery in his clinic. I'm going to have to borrow it for a while, since we don't have the facilities or the safety equipment to perform an actual operation at the Sohma House."

Yuki blinked. "Who's going to perform the actual appendectomy?"

Hatori was impressed. "You seem to know a lot about this, Yuki."

The rat's lips thinned into a severe, almost angry line. "I lost a close friend to appendicitis in middle school."

Hatori drew his head back and inhaled deeply, finally understanding. "I see."

Yuki unconsciously balled his fists. "Are you going to do it?"

"Yes. I have no choice." He couldn't risk someone else, some lay doctor in some hospital, operating on his cousin when the danger was always there, the danger of revealing the great Sohma secret. Hatori was ashamed with himself.

_Am I putting really the Sohma secret above the life of a family member? Above Shigure?_ He wondered darkly.

"You're not a surgeon, Hatori."

"I'm beyond the point of caring, Yuki. I can't stand back and watch someone else do it. I have to be the one to take control of the situation if something goes wrong."

"If he changes, you mean." A ghastly whisper.

Hatori regarded him silently.

In a rare gesture of helplessness and desperation, Yuki reached out and gripped Hatori's sleeve; the Dragon had never seenhim this agitated. Deep down, he guessed the rat really cared for Shigure, as did everybody else. He did to a greater or lesser degree protect Yuki from Akito, after all.

"Please, do everything you-" Yuki hesitated, his eyes pleading. "Don't let him die, Hatori."

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Author's notes:** Hmm, I wasn't intending to make it this angsty. Oh well. I guess it just comes naturally to me, from being depressed all the time. Who wouldn't be, when there's relatively so few Shigure-centric fics in the fandom? I intend to correct this injustice! Don't worry, Shigure. Somebody loves you. Somebody loves you very, very much.

I reiterate the fact that all I know about FB, I learnt from the ANIME, and only the anime. Any OOC-ness or uncanonness was not committed on purpose. The thing with Yuki and his dead friend was all from my own twisted imagination.

A lot of love and labour went into this story. Please review! Flames only mean all the more reviews for me:-)


	3. Chapter 3

"Shigure-sensei?" The front door slammed. And then there were running footsteps pounding along the hallway. Then a white-haired figure burst through the living room, clutching the sliding door for support as he gasped for air. "Sensei?"

"Hatsuharu-san!" Tohru looked up in surprise. Her eyes widened even more when she saw the little girl on Haru's back, clinging to his neck for dear life. "Kisa-san!"

Haru was panting, still out of breath. "We came as soon as we heard."

Then he saw Shigure lying so quietly on the floor. He let Kisa scramble off him before dropping onto his knees, staring at his older cousin in concern. "Daijoubu-ka, sensei?"

"Ha-kun...you came..." Shigure smiled wanly. He freed one hand from the precious grip around his middle to affectionately ruffle Kisa's hair. " I'm sorry, 'Sa-chan...I'm afraid I don't have any candy for you today."

The little girl's eyes were downcast, but he doubted it was due to the lack of sweets.

"Looks like the whole gang is here. Is there a party I didn't know about and I wasn't invited?" He chuckled weakly. But his delight was cut short when a sudden pain caused him to cry out loud.

"Shigure!" Kyo was by his side in an instant. Tohru used a clean cloth to wipe the sweat off Shigure's forehead, her face stricken with worry. But despite his pain, Shigure chuckled again.

"Hey, hey...don't look so scared...I was only kidding," he soothed, but his white face said otherwise.

"Like hell you were," Kyo muttered darkly. His head whipped around.

"And what the hell are you doing here, Haru? Showing up like this all of a sudden?"

The cow just glared at him. "Like I said, stupid, we came just as soon as we heard Shigure-sensei has taken ill. Hatori-san and Momiji ran off so quickly we couldn't quite catch up. I'm not looking for a fight so back off!"

"You back off! How do you expect him to breathe with you crowding and smothering him like this? He needs some air, you mad cow!"

"It's alright, Kyo. Let him stay," Shigure whispered, patting his hand. "Tell me about the convention. Did you have fun?"

Kyo sniffed loudly. "I guess."

Tohru dipped the cloth in cold water before placing it on Shigure's forehead, to try to bring the fever down.

"It was really fun, Shigure-san...a very nice lady put on black kohl on my eyes for me, you know, like Cleopatra-sama used to wear? And then there was a perfectly preserved mummy on display and It's like nothing I have ever seen! Oh Shigure-san, I wish you could have seen it..."

"Heh, it's just like you to get all excited over a black eye and someone who's been dead for centuries," Kyo smirked.

Shigure brought his knees higher up his chest, to see if he could get some relief, if at all. He was exhausted, but he forced himself to smile anyway. "Don't tell me you didn't find it exciting at all, Kyo? It made you feel special, didn't it?"

"I think this fever's messing with your brains. You're not making any sense."

"The Egyptians used to worship the cat, didn't they?"

Kyo's face brightened instantly. "Oh yeah. That was cool. I get to be a god for one day."

"See? Being a cat is not so bad after all," Shigure said gently.

Kyo snickered. "Yeah. On some days. Finally I got to beat Yuki at something."

"You didn't beat me at anything," a new voice joined from behind.

"Yuki."

"Hello, Haru. Didn't expect to see you here." Unfazed by the intense stare the cow was giving him, he seated himself next to Tohru. "How are you holding up, Shigure?"

"Not too bad," Shigure said, licking his parched lips. He swallowed hard. "All this attention is flattering really...but I really hate being so much trouble to everyone."

"What are you talking about?" Kyo scoffed. "The only trouble here is that annoying thing in your body. Once Hatori gets it out, you'll be as good as new."

"Once Hatori gets what out?" Haru asked, fearing for the worst.

"You know, his detox." Kyo announced proudly.

"My spandex," Shigure murmured tiredly. (1)

"His fedex," Momiji chirped confidently. (2)

"Appendix!" Hatori thundered from the door, apparently finished with his phone call. He glowered, looking more than a little pissed off.

"Hatsuharu, what are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay home. Kisa doesn't need late-night outings, and neither do you."

"I was just worried," Haru mumbled defensively.

"I wanted to come..." Kisa's voice was so small it sounded as if she was about to cry. "Please don't be mad, Hatori-ojiichan."

Hatori sighed._ How can I?_ In defeat, he just gave the tiger's head a gentle pat.

He reached for his bag. "You okay there, Shigure?"

It took him a while to answer. Alarm bells rang in the Dragon's head. But Shigure finally opened his eyes.

"It hurts, Ha-san."

Hatori's jaw twitched. Admitting to being in pain was something Shigure was never good at. Now that he was...Hatori's hand shook a little as he filled a syringe with some colourless liquid from a tiny vial. "Just try to relax. And don't talk."

"Yuki, Hatsuharu, could you move all the things from the front and backseats of my car and transfer them to the boot? We need to make some room for Shigure. Be careful, they are all medical supplies I've just bought and they're quite expensive. Don't drop them." He groped in his pocket and tossed his keys to Yuki. "Here."

"Where are we going?" Shigure mumbled. "And don't think I haven't noticed the size of your needle."

Hatori grunted in disapproval. "What did I tell you about not talking?"

Shigure only whimpered. When Hatori finally injected some super-strength analgesics into his vein he didn't even flinch. A few minutes later, the drugs began to take effect and his eyes began to flutter. But Hatori could see he was still fighting to stay alert.

"Sleep, Shigure. The sooner we get you stable, the better. We have to get you to the surgery immediately."

"Okay..." Shigure sighed softly, his body slackening as he finally succumbed to restless unconsciousness.

"Shii-chan..." Momiji was not used to seeing him like this and it scared him. He held on tight onto Tohru's hand. "Tohru..."

"Shii-chan will be alright, right Ha'ri? You'll make him better, won't you?" The blond boy's eyes were big, trusting; desperation and fear making him appear even younger than his years. Hatori just looked at the floor, not saying a word.

Kyo narrowed his eyes. Hatori was naturally reticent, that much he knew, but this unnatural silence was not like him at all. To choose not to answer such a question was enough an answer for Kyo to realize that the situation was even worse than the Dragon had made it seem.

Hatori wordlessly wrapped a thin blanket around his cousin's thin, lanky frame, all the while fervently praying the painkillers were enough to keep him under, long enough to get him to the surgery, long enough to keep him from transforming.

"I'm coming with you," Kyo said roughly.

"No, you're not. You stay here with the rest."

"But Hatori-"

"Just do as I say, Kyo." Hatori's face darkened. "I can't be distracted right now, alright? Just stay here and wait." He glanced at Tohru out the corner of one eye. "Honda-kun, can you keep an eye on everyone and make sure all of you eat something for dinner? It's getting late."

"H-hai."

"The car's ready!" Haru yelled from outside.

Kyo took one last look at Shigure's pallid face. A dark cloud passed across his own. "Alright. I'll stay here. But don't you dare let him die, Hatori. I mean it."

Hatori's lips thinned. "I'll try my best."

"You'd better." With that, Kyo broke into a run and dashed out of the room, nearly crashing into Yuki and Haru who had just returned. Without so much as an apology, he disappeared up the stairs. Yuki had a vague idea where he was heading, though.

* * *

"Nee."

Hatori yelped and nearly lost control of the car. His heart racing, he whipped his head sideways and snarled at his best friend huddling curled up in the passenger seat next to him "You're supposed to be sleeping, damn it!"

"Ha-san..." Shigure's eyes were closed but his lips twitched as he drowsily struggled to get his words across. "Ha-san, listen to me."

As one of the few select people whom Shigure regarded as worthy enoughto sometimes show his serious side to, the very least Hatori could do was shut up and listen. He kept his eyes on the road and waited.

"If anything happens..."

Oh no, Shigure. Anything but that.

Hatori unconsciously tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He forgot to shut up and just barked, " Stop talking nonsense."

"Do me-" Shigure's breath hitched as a bout of pain gripped his body. His teeth clicked. "-a favor."

"One more word, Shigure, and I'm going to hit you," Hatori said dangerously.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Shigure had to smile. But he had to say it. He needed to.

Just in case.

The drugs were once again trying to pull him back into the blissful world of slumber but Shigure focused on his pain to try to stay awake for just a few more seconds. He reached out as far as he could without keeling over and finally his trembling hand found Hatori's knee.

"Keep them safe," he whispered, blinking languidly as grey shadows blurred his vision. A fresh bout of cramps ravaged his insides and his grip on Hatori's knee tightened.

Them?

Visions of Kyo, and Yuki, and even Tohru flashed through Hatori's mind. Shigure had been their legal guardian for some time and he may not look it, but Hatori knew the dog would gladly give his own life before he'd let anything harm them.

"Please..." Even to breathe was a struggle. His vision dimmed. "Above all others..."

Hatori took a deep breath.

"I will." Steering the wheel with one hand, Hatori used the other to give the cold fingers on his knee a comforting squeeze. "You know I will."

Hatori squeezed Shigure's hand once more before letting it go as the car turned at a very sharp corner, while still maintaining the speed. For some reason, the journey was taking a lot longer than it should be, but he knew it was only his imagination. The long stretch of road seemed endless, and the dark, shady trees by the roadside cast a shroud of shadow over his powerful headlights as they passed in a blur of black and green.

"Now shut up and let me take care of you, okay?"

No answer.

"Shigure?" Hatori sneaked a glance at his cousin. Shigure's head had lolled forward to his chest, and his arms lay limply by his side; Hatori couldn't even tell if he was breathing.

Hatori's hand snaked out with lightning speed to feel the side of Shigure's neck. Come on, come on...where the hell is it? Cold sweat started to form along his hairline.

Then he felt it. A thready, sluggish pulse. Hatori's heart started to beat again. Damn you, dog. You nearly gave me a heart attack.

Hatori slowed down a little so he could tuck his cousin's hands under the thin blanket, pulling it up higher to cover him from the shoulders down.

He made a promise to everyone that Shigure was going to be fine. And he wasn't intending to break it. With that in mind, Hatori stepped on the gas.

* * *

"Would you like a second helping, Hatsuharu-san?" Tohru offered. She could no longer stand the silence.

"Hmm?"

"Would you like some more rice?" She repeated.

"Uh. No." After a beat, he said awkwardly, "Thank you, though."

She nodded, resisting the urge to sigh. She looked around the table helplessly. Everyone looked so down; Yuki was barely eating, Kisa and Momiji were toying with their food. Tohru unenthusiastically stabbed her chopsticks into her own food.

"I wonder where Kyo has gone. His food is getting cold."

"He's on the roof. Where else?" Yuki half-heartedly chewed his food. Normally delicious, now it all tasted like sawdust to him. But he knew it had nothing to do with Tohru's cooking, which was perfectly fine as always.

Glumly, Tohru poured more water into Kisa's half-empty glass. "Kisa-san...don't fill yourself with just water, alright? Try to eat, at least a little."

"Onee-chan..."

"Hai?"

"Is Shigure-ojiichan going to be okay?" The tiger clenched her little hands around clumps of her dress in distress.

A lump rose in Tohru's throat. She would give anything to say yes, to put a smile back on everyone's face. But at last, she decided she was mature enough to tell the truth instead.

"I don't know, Kisa-san. We'll just have to pray, alright?" She smiled bravely.

"Pray for Shigure-ojiichan?" Kisa looked up, her eyes big and trusting.

"Yes." Tohru's eyes met Yuki's. Then she looked at Hatsuharu, who had long since placed his chopsticks down across his bowl.

"Let us all pray for Shigure-san...and Hatori-san too. Let's pray for them together. Okay?" She wrapped an arm around Kisa, and gave her other hand to Momiji, who gratefully took it. She squeezed his hand.

"Now. Be strong for Shigure-san, hmm?" She hugged Kisa fiercely, and to her delight, all the faces around the table perked up a little.

Tohru excused herself, planning to see if she could talk Kyo into eating something. She dragged her feet slowly to the kitchen. Then she stopped short.

The plastic bags filled with jelly buns were still stashed in the corner next to the fridge. Shigure's jelly buns.

Her eyes watered.

Shigure-san has done so many things for me. He took me in when I had no home, even when he had such a big secret to protect. He takes care of everyone, even me. He makes me feel like I'm part of the family. He _gave_ me a new family.

I don't want him to die.

Tohru leaned heavily against the edge of the sink, her vision blurring as she fought back tears.

Shigure-san...please be alright.

* * *

"I'm not supposed to let you do this, Hatori-sensei. You do realize what you're asking me to do, don't you?" The usually good-natured doctor was grim, his heavily-lined face serious behind his tortoise-shell glasses.

"I am forever in your debt, Kazuki-sensei." Hatori bowed to him. "I apologize for causing you great inconveniences at this time of the night."

"Iie..." Doctor Kazuki waved his apologies away. "I understand perfectly that this is an emergency. I just don't understand why you insist on doing it yourself. Performing a surgery without a proper license is illegal, even if you are a doctor and know how to do it."

Hatori glanced through the glass where Shigure was already lying on the operating table.

"Kazuki-sensei, you are a qualified anaesthetist. I need your help to keep him sedated. So that leaves only m-"

"That's why I feel we should call another doctor to help-"

"No." Hatori steeled himself. "Please." Asking for Kazuki-sensei's help was bad enough, and if things were to go wrong, clearing his memories would be inevitable. More people just meant more memories to be erased. At this rate, he would have no more friends left, no fellow doctors to count on at the end of the day.

"I can do this." His eyes were fierce. _Trust me_, they seemed to say.

Kazuki-sensei inhaled deeply. "If you say so. Now scrub in."

* * *

It was a moonless, starless night. It was a dead night.

Still air, no wind, no nothing. Not even crickets.

Just dead.

Hatsuharu crossed his legs and let them dangle over the porch. "Hey Yuki."

"Hmm?"

"How did Shigure-sensei get hurt anyway?"

"What do you mean?"

"How did he hurt his...uh...his whatchamaycallit-dix anyway?"

Yuki frowned. "I'm not sure. He could have hit something, I guess. But it's pretty common really. Appendicitis, I mean. It's the most common surgical emergency, anyone can get it."

"So it can just happen, huh?"

Yuki shrugged. "Something like that."

"He doesn't get sick very often, does he? Sensei?" Haru stared down at his hands.

Yuki shook his head. "Finally decides to get sick, and he goes all out."

"Yeah, what's wrong with the common cold, or hay fever or something? Appendicitis." Haru twisted his tongue around the word. "Sounds fancy."

"That's Shigure for you. Always has to go for the fancy ones." Yuki stared off into the darkness.

Haru raked a hand through his white hair restlessly. "All this waiting is driving me nuts," he muttered.

"Try praying then."

After a beat, Haru bowed his head. "Alright."

* * *

Hatori tugged on his surgical mask which was sagging down his nose a little with the heel of his hand, very much aware of the blood smeared all over his gloves. It was hard to see, with all the blood filling up no matter how many swabs he used to absorb it. "Suction." Kazuki passed him the suction, and the sucking sounds it made as it drained the blood seeping into the abdominal cavity made Hatori a little sick to his stomach. Then he saw it.

"You-katta..." He offered a silent prayer. No perforation. The appendix had not burst. Yet. But from the looks of it, Hatori knew it had come close to. Kazuki caught his sigh of relief.

"Still intact?"

Hatori nodded and held his scalpel at an angle, preparing to make an incision. But he froze when he suddenly saw Shigure's head twitch. And he felt the cover protecting Shigure's body tremble.

Oh no. Not now. Please.

Then the table started to shake.

In panic, Hatori's head snapped up. He cried, "Kazuki-sensei! Do it now!"

Kazuki's eyes widened, and his mouth fell open. "I can't! I've given him as much as I could-It's too dangerous!"

"Just do it!" Hatori yelled. "Haiyaku!"

* * *

Tohru glanced at the clock. It was almost midnight. Hatori and Shigure had been gone for almost four hours.

Kisa squirmed slightly in her lap, unconsciously tugging at the hem of Tohru's skirt in her sleep. A restless sigh escaped her tiny lips.

Hatori-san...

Tohru blinked furiously a few times as her eyelids threatened to close. She refused to fall asleep.

Not just yet.

* * *

"Kyo?" He opened his eyes warily. The night sky, vast and empty, offered him no consolation; whoever it was should have known that he wasn't to be disturbed whenever he was on the roof.

"Kyo?" The whoever called again.

"What is it, Momiji?" The last person he would expect. He braced himself for whatever was about to come.

"Can I..." The rabbit crept closer uncertainly, his scared face showing every inch of his young age. "Umm..."

Kyo said nothing.

"Tohru's comforting Kisa and Haru's sitting with Yuki out on the porch..." Momiji stopped in his tracks. "Can I...just sit here with you? I promise I won't be noisy."

The cat blinked once. And again.

He took a deep breath. Being nice once in a while wouldn't hurt. Just like Shigure said. Being happy about being a cat once in a while wouldn't hurt either. He scooted over to the side a bit, so Momiji could sit next to him without toppling off the roof.

"Sure, kid."

* * *

That's it. With mechanical movements, Hatori took off his mask and goggles and finally his surgical gloves, with a numbness he had never felt before. Stunned, he dropped everything onto the floor.

It's over. It's finally over.

He could feel Kazuki's eyes on him, intense and piercing. He guessed he owed him some kind of explanation, sooner or later. He voted for later.

Right now he had to get rid of his blood-splattered scrubs, and...what was that again? Oh right. He had to make a phone call.

He slowly pushed the double doors open, dragging his feet wearily across the floor littered with discarded tube packaging, bits of cardboard and plastic. The heavy doors closed behind him with a swoosh, abnormally loud, resonating in his brain. Empty.

Now. Where did I keep my phone? He wondered numbly. Oh right. The doctor's lounge.

He started to walk. He could barely feel his feet.

Have to tell them. Have to tell them the news.

A small frown creased his paper white face.

I wonder what Honda-kun cooked for dinner.

He walked on.

* * *

When the phone finally rang, Tohru thought she was dreaming. Her head snapped up and her eyes widened in horror. She'd fallen asleep!

She kept still, waiting to see if it would ring again. It did. She hastily lifted Kisa off her lap-Gomen, Kisa-san!-and placed the still sleeping tiger as gently as she could down on the floor.

Tohru fearfully pressed the phone against her ear.

"H-Hello?" In the distant, she could hear running footsteps stampeding down the stairs. Kyo landed a few feet away from her, his intense gaze searing through her like two pieces of burning coal. He must have heard the phone ring from all the way up on the roof.

"Honda-kun?" Yuki and Haru appeared at her side, their eyes bleary. She wondered what the time was.

"Hatori-san!" Yuki pressed in closer, wanting to listen in on the conversation; resisting the urge to just grab the phone from Tohru's hand, checking himself just in time.

"How is...Shigure-san?" She wasted no time in getting straight to the point, yet her voice was small, hesitant. She listened intently, biting her lower lip.

In growing suspense, Yuki watched as Tohru's face changed, as all the colour drained from her cheeks-and when her lips started to tremble dangerously, Yuki knew something had happened.

He stumbled backward a few steps, but Haru was quick to catch him before he could trip over Kisa and fall.

"Oi, what is it?" Kyo marched toward Tohru, his hand stretched out as if to snatch the phone away from her. "What happened?"

Still hanging onto the receiver, Tohru's eyes started to fill as she kept listening to what Hatori was saying.

Still not understanding, Kyo could only stare at her dumbfounded. "Tohru?"

After what felt like forever, she finally spoke, her voice trembling. "Hai. I understand. Goodbye, Hatori-san."

Her hands shook when she finally put the phone down, the loud click it made echoing against the four walls; it made her feel a little claustrophobic.

"Shigure-san..." She faltered, her voice trailing off. Yuki stepped forward and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Honda-san. What did Hatori say? How's Shigure?" He gave her a little shake.

"Gomen..." Tohru sobbed. She finally lifted her face. Tears were streaming down her pale cheeks in rivulets. "I was just..."

"I was just-" She dabbed her eyes with the heels of her hands, but the giant droplets kept on welling up. But she was smiling. "I was just...too happy..."

Yuki's forehead wrinkled.

Too...happy?

Does that mean-?

"Shigure-sensei..." Haru exclaimed, his eyes dancing with excitement. "He's...alright?"

Tohru nodded emphatically, spraying her tears of joy everywhere. She was no longer capable of words, her grin so wide she felt as if her lips would snap. "He's alive! Hatori-san said the surgery was a success!"

Kyo let out the loudest whoop she had ever heard, and he punched his fist in the air, leaping so high up his head almost hit the ceiling.

"He's alive..." Yuki leaned heavily against the wall, literally feeling his heart expand. He covered his face with one hand and started to laugh. A small giggle at first, but then sheer relief took over, crashing into him in waves, and soon he was shaking with laughter. "Shigure's alive..."

Shigure-san...

Tohru breathed a silent offering of gratitude. Thank you, kami-sama. Thank you.

And thank you, Hatori-san. How can I ever repay you? Ah...how about, a nice dinner? Yes! A very, very, very nice dinner!

And then she giggled.

* * *

Hatori placed the phone against the receiver, wincing a little as he involuntarily rubbed his ear. "Damn, those kids are loud!"

A soft chuckle came from the other end of the room. "Yes. They are, aren't they?"

"They got mad when I told them you were going to stay here for a few more days. Started arguing that you needed to be in a safe and happy environment to recuperate."

Shigure sweat-dropped.

"My sentiments exactly. You'd be much safer staying in a kennel. Judging from the repair bills and maintenance charges you keep on forwarding to the main house like the responsible adult you are." But the jibe fell on deaf ears.

Shigure stared at the ceiling. "They do have a point."

Hatori looked at him sharply. After a beat, he walked out onto the porch and inhaled deeply, the night air heavily-scented with the fragrance of fresh spring flowers. "Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on you. No one is expecting anything from you. Just stay in bed and concentrate on getting better."

Shigure closed his eyes. On top of the pain from the stitches, for some unknown reason, his chest was hurting as well; he even he thought he saw some bruises marring his torso when Hatori helped him dress earlier. How very strange.

"I don't think I can go anywhere even if I wanted to."

"I know. It will hurt for at least a few more days. Until then, you're staying here."

Shigure pouted, scrutinizing the empty, bare walls of Hatori's room/workplace with its shelves of rows upon rows of books and the paperwork piling on his desk. "I want my own desk. I want my own books."

"I've already told Yuki to bring some over tomorrow when they come visit."

"Along with my jelly buns?" Shigure dared to be hopeful, crossing his fingers.

"In your dreams," Hatori retorted.

Shigure pouted. "You never let me have fun."

"You don't deserve any fun," Hatori said, glaring at him. Viciously, he slid the porch door shut with a sharp crack.

Shigure turned his face away.

"Do you realize what could have happened if we had even been fifteen minutes late? You gave everyone quite a scare." Hatori sat down cross-legged next to the futon and stared down at him accusingly.

"Gomen. I didn't mean to," Shigure said softly. "Really."

The Dragon pursed his lips. At last, he managed an almost imperceptible nod, his fingers unconsciously playing with the edge of Shigure's blanket as he drowned himself in his thoughts.

He didn't know how long he stayed that way but finally, Hatori bowed his head. "I almost didn't keep my promise."

"Hmm?" Shigure gazed at him questioningly. Then his eyes softened. "You mean the one you made in the car?"

Hatori shook his head slowly. He was silent, but his eyes were stormy, alive, as if he were reliving a painful memory.

"What is it, Ha-san ?" Shigure's tilted his head to the side so he could take a better look at his friend.

"Whatever is troubling you, please, do tell." The dim glow of the lamp cast soft shadows across the sickly hue of Shigure's face. The raw concern in his warm brown eyes was almost more than Hatori could bear.

"Shigure..."

"That's the least I can do. After all, you did save my life."

Hatori stiffened. "I almost...I almost didn't."

Shigure frowned. "Ha-san?"

Hatori stared down at his hands, hard. "I'm telling this to you, and you alone."

A lone cricket pierced the still air of the night with its forlorn tune, a sombre melody which strummed a note of pain in Hatori's chest.

"Your heart stopped on the operating table." His words seemed to resonate against the four walls of the room with the impact of their meaning. He bowed his head and a shock of dark hair tumbled across his forehead, obscuring his eyes. He kept staring at his hands.

"For three full minutes, it stopped beating."

Shigure fixed his eyes heavenward, as if he had suddenly found something interesting on the ceiling. Hatori couldn't even bring himself to look at him.

"It was the longest three minutes of my life," he whispered. "I promised them. I promised Yuki, Kyo...I promised everyone that you were going to be alright, that you were going to make it. Maybe I had too much faith in myself, maybe I had too much faith in you-I don't know...but at that moment..."

"You had to choose which promise to break."

Hatori sucked in a breath. "I promised you I would take care of them if-" his jaw clenched.

"Hatori..." For the first time in ages, Shigure was addressing him with his full name. Hatori wasn't surprised. Despite the laid-back appearance and the ridiculous antics, there lay hidden one of the most intelligent people Hatori had ever known; and when he wanted to, Shigure could see through people so well it was scary. "Hey."

Hatori lifted his head slowly. Warm, twinkling brown eyes met the unfathomable depth of grey.

"You brought me back. That's all that matters. Right?"

Immediately he felt a lump rise in his throat.

"You don't have to hold on to that promise anymore. I came back, see?"

"You almost didn't." Hatori wrapped his arms around himself, feeling a shudder all of a sudden. "And it would have been entirely my fault."

Still not understanding, Shigure only stared at him in confusion.

"I thought you were going to change, when I was cutting you-I suppose I must have hurt you somewhat because your whole body started trembling, and the only explanation I could come up with was that you were about to transform, right then and there on the operating table-"

"I made Kazuki-sensei increase the dosage of the anaesthetics even though I knew how dangerous it was...I made him do it."

Hatori raised a hand and cupped it over his mouth. How strange. All the words-the confession, it was all pouring out of him in a torrent.

"The sedatives managed to stop you from transforming. But they also suppressed your heart and they almost killed you."

Shigure breathed in deeply; he didn't tear his gaze away. He knew what the haunted look in Hatori's eyes meant.

"I almost killed you."

A sudden heavy silence befell the room.

Shigure's hand unconsciously crept under the blanket and rested on the incision wound. His expressionless face appeared somewhat thoughtful, and Hatori would give anything to know what he was thinking.

"Well..." The corners of his lips tugged upwards. "At least you've seen me naked."

Hatori's jaw dropped. "W-Wha-" His face involuntarily turned bright red. A cheeky grin was not the response Hatori was expecting. Much less such an outrageous-outrageous-

"Shigure, did you even listen to a single word I-"

"I did." The big grin dissolved into a thin, mirthless smile.

"You did what you had to do, Ha-san. You did what you thought needed to be done. It's really that simple. And if it's forgiveness you're asking for, look elsewhere because I'm not giving it to you."

Hatori's heart sank.

"You didn't do anything wrong. I know you didn't do it just to protect the Sohma secret. I know you did it for me. If I had transformed, with all those scalpels and tubes and God knows what other fancy instruments you doctors use still inside my body, it would have killed me anyway. You made a judgement call. And you had no way of knowing if you had made the right one."

"But life is just that. A gamble. A huge risk in itself. So no, it wouldn't have been your fault."

"On the contrary, you are quite the hero. You have just saved the life of Japan's current best-selling romance slash fine literature novelist and you have no idea how many high school girls and pretty young ladies would bow at your feet, shower you with kisses and hugs-" Shigure smirked a little at the irony.

"You have salvaged the romantic dreams of the entire female population nationwide..." Shigure sighed contentedly. He cracked an eye open. It wasn't like Hatori not to respond to one of his bubble-headed rants. This guilt trip thing must really be getting to him. Oh hell. Just say it, Shigure, and save him the heartache.

"Thank you. For saving me." Hatori's jaws visibly clenched. He blinked furiously.

Shigure looked at him strangely. "You're not going to cry, are you, Ha-san?"

Hatori almost barked a laughter. It was typical of Shigure, making him want to scream and laugh and cry, all at the same time. But for some reason, he found himself wondering if he were too. But to let Shigure know? Hell, no. He would never let him live it down.

"What, over you? You must be joking." Hatori couldn't help but smile. He brought his knees up to his chest and propped his chin against his crossed forearms. The smile disappeared just as rapidly as it appeared, however.

"You know what will happen if you do this to me again, don't you?"

"A few ideas do come to mind. One involving a lifetime supply of sake, perhaps?"

"Make it Belgian wine and it's a deal."

"Save it. I don't intend to go through all that again anytime soon." Shigure sighed, exhaustion from hours of intense pain, once again taking a toll on him. He cracked one eye open and peered at Hatori curiously. "How many appendixes do I have left, anyway?"

Hatori started to laugh. It was such a rare sound; Shigure had never thought he would hear it again, not after Kana. Although he was overjoyed at such a change in his best friend, Shigure was more confused as to why he was laughing.

"Did I say something wrong?"

Hatori shook his head, his body shaking with mirth. "No...I have taken out the only one you had."

"You-katta..." Shigure snuggled his head even deeper into the pillow. He was getting sleepy again.

"Would you like to see it?" Hatori turned around to grab for his bag.

"Eh?"

Hatori produced a small jar filled with a yellowish liquid with wispy buoyant strands of orange inside. Floating in the centre of the jar was a small, almost tubular solid structure about the size of his index finger; the pinkish-reddish hue of its tissues made it appear swollen and inflamed.

"That's it?"

"Yes."

"That's the thing that almost killed me?"

"In a word, yes."

"It's...kind of small."

"You sound disappointed."

"I just thought it would be bigger."

"Would your near-death experience be more...romantic...if it had been bigger?"

"In a word, yes."

"Would it make you feel better if I told you that a healthy appendix doesn't normally get any bigger than your pinkie?"

"Ah. Sow-ka."

Hatori placed the jar back very carefully inside the magical bag, like it was some kind of prized token. "Back in medical school, most of the patients would want to keep it like some kind of trophy. I had a feeling you'd want to do the same."

"Hmm," Shigure murmured drowsily. "As a reminder, perhaps."

Hatori nodded. A reminder. Of your very close brush with death.

"You were lucky, Shigure."

Shigure's only answer was a smile, his eyes already closed. "I was, I was."

Despite how exhausted he was, Hatori decided he should stay up and watch Shigure just for a little while. He might as well do some reading. As he rose to get his journal from his bookshelf, he almost missed it; the inaudible sigh, from someone he thought would always be around, someone he very nearly lost.

"I had you."

And Sohma Hatori smiled to himself in the balmy darkness of the rising sun.

**THE END**

GLOSSARY

Sensei : What you'd call a doctor/teacher/etc. In the context of the story, that's what Haru calls Shigure.  
Daijoubu-ka: Are you alright?  
Onee-chan : Big sister  
Ojii-chan : Grandpa  
Nee : Hey  
Hai : Yes  
Iie : No  
You-katta : Thank goodness  
Haiyaku : Hurry/Quickly!  
Sow-ka: Oh/Really/I see  
Gomen : Sorry  
Kami-sama : God

References:  
(1) & (2) : These funny lines are actually from an awesome Magnificent 7 fic by Karin entitled 'Breaking the Chain'. I hope she doesn't mind me borrowing them just for a little while. They really cracked me up. No intentions of plagiarising, whatsoever!

**Solo Shadow** : Here, I've written more! This one's for you!  
**MystiKoorime** : Oh goody! I guess I was a bit too worried about everyone being OOC, hehe! Thanks!  
**Ustrel Flowright** : Hatori and Shigure look soo good together I just couldn't resist! I'm just a medical student, who spends waayy too much time watching anime and dreaming up storylines for future FB fics.  
**Oku-San the Monk** : Nah...I wouldn't kill off our beloved 'Gure-san...he's too adorable!  
**Aeris** : Thank you for that very, very long review! And I'm glad you liked the story-tried my best writing each and every character's personality as accurately as my limited knowledge of the FB world would let me. Hope you'll like this one as well.  
**Sun Moon and Spoon** : I am very particular myself about the medical terms I use in my stories-in order for a fic to be readable, it has to be complemented with adequate accuracy of facts, just to make it more alive, in a way. I strive too. Hehe. Thanks!  
**jaarli** : Thank you for your reviews! And I'm glad you liked the story!And may God bless Shigure always and forever.  
**Ryu-chan** : You no longer have to worry...Gure-sensei is perfectly alright. See)  
**dimonyo-anghel** : Shigure didn't really get hurt...it was more of an acute, spontaneous thing. It can just happen-hope that little conversation between Yuki and Haru cleared things up a bit for you! Thank you for reviewing!  
**Patterns of blood** : Yeah Yuki has a mild asthma. Or so I've been told...hehe, you're not the only one who thought Shigure was pregnant)  
**aniki19** : Please don't be mad...here, I fixed Shigure up for you! I'm a rat, like Yuki...But I'm a Scorpio too! We do have the most fun, don't we)  
**anime** : Shigure-san is perfectly alright. Looking as good as ever.

Author's notes:

First of all...thank you to all those who reviewed! You guys are so sweet. Hehe.

Secondly...That has got to be the funniest, strangest, most daring appendectomy scene ever. My knowledge in the area is still quite limited (I've got a few more years to go till I graduate, but what the hell, I've tried my best) Hope it didn't turn out that badly. Just having a bit of fun, that's all.

That felt good, finishing a story (I know I'm inviting the wrath of some of my Mutant X readers...Gomen-nasai!) but you know how it goes...when the story wants to play itself out, it will...sooner or later...

So there. Hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I had fun writing it! I know it's nothing great, but please, do leave your comments. Feedback is greatly appreciated!


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